Pictures of Your Summer Toys
- Thread starter gary_in_neenah
- Start date
hermie
Well-known member
You know what they say the best boat is somebody's else's boat you can use. Like Gary said the best 2 days of owning a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it.My summer toys are work toys, but they are still fun... (I have an uncle and a few friends with boats so I can get out on the water that way... Plus my uncle love when I take the boat because I always detail it. So he gets it back better that he gave it to me. LOL)
JD X590 54" deck - I love the cut and the MOD feature is great! I don't use it to really mulch, because it cuts great with the door open. However being able to close the chute door off when going by landscaping is the best! I do think have the extra mulch baffles and mulch blades on the deck helps keep the clipping smaller.
JD 3039R - I've been making it work... I moved 100 tons of black dirt and 30 tons of asphalt grinding over the last few months, I been cutting trails and the ease of moving something I can put on a pallet is great! Even dug a trench with the forks to bury some gutter drains. (The bucket is not this shiny anymore. LOL)
Farris ISX2200 30.5hp/60" deck - I have some rough ground on areas of my property and this suspension rides amazing! Also cut my mowing time in half! I do want to get a chute blocker at some point but I don't have to have it just yet not alot of landscaping on my property yet...
Personally we have been really lucky with our Crownline all it does is run year after year.There are 2 different blue boats pictured. Both parked at Captains Cove in Winneconne.
The 1st one, pointing away is a '69 Shell Lake 17' Balboa with 155 HP OMC drive. I bought it in 2003.
2nd one, pointing to the right is a '66 Shell Lake 15' Calypso with a 90 HP 2 stroke OMC drive. I bought it in 1995.
3rd one is a '70 SeaRay SRV 180 with a 165 HP MerCruiser drive. Step father bought it new & I've had it since 1997.
I also have 2 more, I'll resize & attach below.
'74 Switzer 17' 183B, MerCruiser 140. I bought it in 2004. Technically it is now my kid's but it's in my shed & I use it. Go figure. That picture is at Izzy's in Berlin.
'71 AlumaCraft 12' with 7.5 Mercury. Bought it in '20 from Rawhide. Typically I use it for backwater & shallow exploration. In other words, the upper Fox R from Butte Des Morts to Governor's Bend lock a few miles downstream from Portage in various segments. That picture is taken at River's Bend a few miles downstream of Montello.
'71 AlumaCraft 12' with 7.5 Mercury. Bought it in '20 from Rawhide. Typically I use it for backwater & shallow exploration. In other words, the upper Fox R from Butte Des Morts to Governor's Bend lock a few miles downstream from Portage in various segments. That picture is taken at River's Bend a few miles downstream of Montello.
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Having grown up in Shell Lake where we once had two boat factories it is nice to see some still in use.
hermie
Well-known member
Very nice Switzer craft. Don't see many of those anymore. Seeing that reminds me of my much younger days. The grandparents had a 75 Switzer. I believe it was 18' with a 140 HP mercruiser. The only problem that seems to keep happening was the points and condenser would go bad. Besides that overall was a good boat.
Yes, model is 183 but centerline length was closer to 17'. I guess the 18 was rounded up & 3 for trihull, so 183. 183B was bowrider and there was a 183R for closed bow (not too common). I actually had Bob & Carol Switzer out in that boat a few months after I bought it. Bob was driving, Carol was riding shotgun & I was facing aft. Probably not too many can say that.
According to Bob, 75 thru 77 had a slightly different hull. A bit wider at the waterline & a molded fiberglass swim platform.
Mine has a recessed transom & ladder (72 thru 74). Visible here in shrinkwrap.
And here is a '74 183R, needs complete restoration if you're bored (not mine, I considered it then came to my senses). Look close to see the closed bow.
According to Bob, 75 thru 77 had a slightly different hull. A bit wider at the waterline & a molded fiberglass swim platform.
Mine has a recessed transom & ladder (72 thru 74). Visible here in shrinkwrap.
And here is a '74 183R, needs complete restoration if you're bored (not mine, I considered it then came to my senses). Look close to see the closed bow.
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hermie
Well-known member
Yes you are correct about the swim platform. Actually that was really nice because I use to water ski behind the boat. I had to learn to pull myself up out of the water salmon skiing. The 4-cylinder didn't have the torque to pull me out on a single ski. When I would get behind a boat with some torque I would have to learn to get up behind it.
lofsfire
Well-known member
BOAT = Bust Out Another Thousand! Of course, I guess sleds are not any better...You know what they say the best boat is somebody's else's boat you can use. Like Gary said the best 2 days of owning a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it.
So I guess a cleaning and detail make it all worth it when I do tak it out.
eagle1
Well-known member
Inflation ....more like 2k now. BOA2TBOAT = Bust Out Another Thousand! Of course, I guess sleds are not any better...
I'm 2k in hole already and still need 4 new tires and 50 gal fuel. Ohh and was in it cleaning today and dealer left rocker switch on and batter stone cold dead..... hopefully I can save it.....ughhh.
As a Former Boat Owner; I fully concur of the reference to B.O.A.T. Anything beyond a 14 foot aluminum with an outboard is going to be a challenge. The cost, storage space, cleaning and maintenance are all considerations when contemplating buying and selling. We sent so far as to put a third stall on the garage to house our boat as I didn't want it parked in the driveway all summer. And even then, I had to remove the trailer hitch so I could get both vehicles inside. Cleaning and maintenance duties fell to the skipper, me. There's nothing like hanging upside down in an engine compartment changing out a fuel filter or retrieving a dropped wrench in the keel. Housekeeping included hours of detail work to remove sand, dog hair, spilled beverage/food, and "Who the hell left this candy bar in the hot sun?"
However, as I look back, I have a lot of great memories. We live a short distance from Lake Winnebago so access was relatively quick and easy. On a sunny, warm day, there's nothing better than cruising across the water with friends and family. One of my fondest memories is pulling in to a beach area and before I could drop and set the anchor, our dog would belly flop off the stern for a swim. Also, the scenery at the same beach area was pleasing to the eye, if you know what I mean. Those reflective sunglasses are the best as not to be accused by the wife of staring at the other scenery.
So, yeah if I had to do it all over again, I'd buy a boat. Enjoy the heck out of it because life is short and when the time is right, sell it to the next guy that's looking for a reason to B.O.A.T.
However, as I look back, I have a lot of great memories. We live a short distance from Lake Winnebago so access was relatively quick and easy. On a sunny, warm day, there's nothing better than cruising across the water with friends and family. One of my fondest memories is pulling in to a beach area and before I could drop and set the anchor, our dog would belly flop off the stern for a swim. Also, the scenery at the same beach area was pleasing to the eye, if you know what I mean. Those reflective sunglasses are the best as not to be accused by the wife of staring at the other scenery.
So, yeah if I had to do it all over again, I'd buy a boat. Enjoy the heck out of it because life is short and when the time is right, sell it to the next guy that's looking for a reason to B.O.A.T.
